Full-page newspaper ads across the country in July 1996 touted
Absorbit-ALL PLUS in blaring headlines, all the more ridiculous
in this day of cautious claims. "Guaranteed to blast up to
49 pounds off you in only 29 days! . . . Blocks up to 15 times
its weight in fat, blasts up to 50% of your body fat in record
time, obliterates up to 5 inches from your waistline, and zaps
3 inches from your thighs before you know it!" Just more
chromium picolinate mixed with mysterious ingredients like "Asian
root . . . fat blockers" in a pill that "stimulates
your metabolic rate and prevents lean muscle loss while the fat
just melts away!" Cost: $49.95 + $5.95 shipping and handling,
for 30-day supply. SlimAmerica Inc., Deerfield Beach, Florida.

Insoles that slip into your shoes, are covered with small knobs,
and cause "weight loss with every step you take" are
one of the most highly advertised weight loss gadgets on the market
today. The knobs are claimed to stimulate foot reflex centers
that control kidneys, bladder and stomach through acupressure
-- "a 5,000 year old Chinese therapy." The theory is
that weight problems are often linked to "under-performance
of the dietary system." Therefore, when these organs are
primed to function efficiently through acupressure your metabolism
"works normally and does not store fat!" Testimonials
claim no dieting or exercise needed: "I lost 74 pounds!"
Cost $19.95. Body Well USA, New York, N.Y.